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Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini last month announced that the state cabinet had decided to offer wrestler and MLA Vinesh Phogat benefits equivalent to those of an Olympic silver medallist under its sports policy
Congress MLA Vinesh Phogat during the budget session of Haryana assembly, in Chandigarh. (Image: PTI)
Wrestler-turned-politician Vinesh Phogat has opted for a cash prize after the Haryana government recently offered to her benefits equivalent to an Olympic silver medallist, asking her to choose from various options.
Phogat, 30, was disqualified from the 2024 Paris Olympics for being overweight ahead of her gold medal bout in the 50-kg category. Recently, the Haryana government offered three choices to her under its sports policy.
Official sources on Thursday said she opted for a cash award of Rs 4 crore. She submitted a letter to the state sports department on April 8 to inform them of her decision.
Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini last month announced that the Haryana cabinet had decided to offer Phogat benefits equivalent to those of an Olympic silver medallist under the state’s sports policy, which provides three types of benefits — a cash prize of Rs 4 crore, an Outstanding Sportsperson (OSP) job under Group ‘A’ and a Haryana Shehri Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP) plot.
The government recently sought her preference regarding the benefit that she wished to avail. During the Haryana assembly’s budget session in March, Phogat had reminded Saini of his promise to honour her like a medallist after she was disqualified for being overweight ahead of her gold medal bout in the 50 kg category at last year’s Paris Olympics.
“The chief minister had said that Vinesh is our daughter and she would receive the reward as an Olympic silver medallist. This promise has still not been fulfilled,” she said in the assembly. “It is not about money, it is about respect. Many people from across the state tell me that I must have received the cash award.”
Saini noted that Phogat was disqualified from the Paris Olympics due to a procedural decision. Calling her “Haryana’s pride”, he had tweeted that he would not allow her honour to be diminished.
Phogat, a three-time Olympian, led protests against former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Singh. She successfully contested the Haryana assembly elections from Julana in Jind district last year on a Congress ticket.
(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – PTI)
- Location :
Chandigarh, India, India
